


You Can’t Kill What’s Already Dead

by tabbytabbytabby



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Fluff, Future Fic, Good Theo Raeken, Hurt Liam Dunbar, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Post-Canon, Protective Theo Raeken, Resurrection, Theo Raeken Needs a Hug, temporarily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:20:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26922028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: Theo comes home from work with a plan. One that is quickly thrown out the window when he sees the lights off and door cracked open, and immediately knows something is wrong. His point is proven when goes inside and sees who's waiting for him. Someone he never thought he'd see again. At least not outside his nightmares. All she wants is to make him suffer by taking the thing he loves most in the world from him. Liam.
Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Comments: 16
Kudos: 73





	You Can’t Kill What’s Already Dead

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Skaboom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skaboom/gifts).



> For Emily, who wanted Take Me Instead for Whumptober. And also for the Thwarted Escape space for Bad Things Happen Bingo.

The sun is starting to set in the sky when Theo parks his truck outside the house. His house. The one he shares with Liam. It still throws him to think that he has this life. That after all the things he did that he’s able to have this. That he has a normal job after all the chaos his life has been, a roof over his head, and food on the table. That he gets to come home every night to Liam waiting for him, and their cat Spike. That it’s all real. It took awhile to convince himself of that. That the life they had wasn’t just going to slip through his fingers like it had all been a dream. 

They’ve been together three years, and Theo has loved and treasured every moment. Every blissful, happy moment. Hell, even the bad ones, because they survived and led them to where they are today. 

Theo palms his jacket pocket and smiles at the box he feels inside. Tonight is the night. He can feel it. He’s been anxiously texting Scott, Mason, and Corey all day, probably driving them crazy. At least enough that he got a text from Stiles a few minutes before his shift ended telling him to chill the fuck out and just do it.

So he’s going to. Finally. 

He takes a deep breath and opens the door to his truck and jumps down. It’s only then that he notices that none of the lights in the house are on, despite Liam’s car being parked out front, and the door is cracked open. 

He stops and closes his eyes, focusing his senses on the house. Liam’s there. He can hear his heart beating, although a little too quickly, but there are other heartbeats inside the house. Two he can’t pinpoint. Strangers. 

“Theo,” he hears Liam say, almost too quiet for him to catch it. “Go.”

That’s when he really knows something is wrong. Why else would Liam be telling him to leave, and sounding so afraid? 

“Now now, Liam, why don’t you invite him to join us?” a female voice says. One that he’ll never be able to forget, but was sure he’d never hear again, save for his nightmares. “Theo, come.”

Theo’s heart feels like it’s in his throat as he walks towards the door, but not before sending a text to Scott, telling him something is wrong and to get here now. Whatever this is, he knows he’s going to need back up. 

A smell hits him as he gets close to the house, something sour and rotten. Wrong. He knows it’s wrong. He pushes the door open and walks inside. The only light, coming from the quickly fading sun behind him. His eyes adjust and quickly land on Liam. 

Liam’s blue eyes meet his, wide and scared. “You shouldn’t have come.”

“Yeah, like I’d really leave you knowing you were in danger,” Theo says. He makes himself look away from Liam and take in the other people in the room. He was right about two strangers. There are men on either side of Liam, holding him down by the shoulders as he kneels between them. 

He hears something scraping across the title floor in the kitchen, coming closer, as the stench grows stronger. “Theo,” she sings. “Oh Theo.”

“Come out and face me,” Theo growls. “Whatever you are. Show yourself.”

She laughs and steps out of the shadows, and Theo feels his heart stop at the sight of her. Tara. Or at least what’s left of her. Her hair is matted and her skin green and black with signs of decay, but he still recognizes her face. He’ll never forget it. She smiles, something cold. “Hello little brother.”

Theo bares his fangs, “I don’t know what you are, but you’re not my sister.”

Tara laughs, “Of course I am. Though I imagine I look a little different than the last time you saw me.” Theo growls when she steps up to Liam and grabs him by the hair, forcing him to look at her. “You see what he did to me?”

“He was a child,” Liam says.

“So was I,” Tara snaps. “I was only twelve years old when he just stood by and let me die. I didn’t deserve that.”

“You didn’t,” Theo says. “And I’m sorry.”

She laughs coldly, and shoves Liam’s head back down. “Sorry? You’re _sorry_? I died because of you, and all you can say is sorry?”

“I don’t know what else you want me to say,” Theo says. “And for one, I’m still not convinced you’re my sister.”

“No?” she says. Theo watches in horror as she lifts her shirt and reveals a wide, gaping hole in her chest. “This is where my heart should be. The one you stole from me. The one that’s beating in your best, and that you don’t deserve.”

“So what?” Theo asks. “Are you here to take it back?”

“Maybe I will,” she says. “But first I want you to suffer. I want to take your life from you, the way you took mine.” She looks down at Liam and smirks. “And that’s starting with killing this one.”

“No,” Theo says, stumbling forward a few steps. “No please. Take me instead. Leave Liam out of this. He’s innocent.”

“How innocent can he be if he loves a monster?” Tara asks him. 

“He’s not a monster,” Liam says. “He did bad things, but he’s better now.”

“So because he’s suddenly grown a conscience he shouldn’t have to pay for the things he did?” Tara asks. “For what he did to me?”

“He has paid,” Liam tells her. “More than enough.”

“I don’t think so,” Tara says. “There will never be enough suffering for someone like him.”

Theo knows she means it. He can tell. He’s past doubting that this is Tara standing in front of him. He just doesn’t understand how it’s possible.

“How are you here?” Theo asks. “You’ve been dead for years. You should be…”

“Bone and dust?” Tara says. “Oh I was. But then I felt something for the first time in years. Something calling me back. I couldn’t deny the call.”

“Something called you back?” Theo asks. “What?”

Tara looks to the men standing on either side of her, “Their boss.”

“Their boss?” Liam questions. “Who do they work for?”

“Someone named Monroe,” Tara says. “Not that it matters to me. She told me I could have my life back on one condition.”

“And what’s that?” Theo asks.

“That I destroy yours piece by piece,” Tara says. “Which I will gladly do.”

“Can’t you see she’s using you?” Liam asks. “Monroe hates the supernatural and she’s using you to do her dirty work for her.”

“Maybe so,” Tara says. “But that’s not my problem. She can do what she likes. I’m only worried about Theo.”

“And making me suffer,” Theo says. “I know.”

“You’d think you’d be a little nicer to me,” Tara says. “Considering I can end your love’s life with one swipe.”

To prove her point she swings a sword out in front of her, and Theo cries out when it moves towards Liam. But it stops, just short of his neck. For a moment, he can’t hear Liam breathing. It’s like he’s holding his breath, afraid that any movement can bring him closer to the blade. 

Tara smirks, “Oh, are you worried about him?”

“Of course I am,” Theo mutters.

She laughs, “You should be.”

The smell of blood hits him and Theo watches in terrified horror as she digs the blade deeper into Liam’s skin. He doesn’t know what to do. He’s frozen. His head is spinning. Screaming out a confusing mix of “save him” and “Tara’s alive.” Except that last part isn’t quite true. Not really.

“Let him go,” Theo says. “Please. Just let him go. You can do whatever you want to me. I don’t care. Just don’t hurt him.”

“Don’t you see that’s why I have to hurt him?” Tara asks. “You don’t care what happens to yourself. But Liam?” She runs a rotting hand down Liam’s face and Liam winces. “Losing him would destroy you.” Her eyes snap up to meet his and she giggles. The sound reminds him of the times she’d laugh when they were kids, but this is nothing like that. She’s far from the sister he remembers, and he’s not the same boy he was back then either. “I want to destroy your happiness, Theo. And unfortunately for Liam, that means he has to die.”

She nods her head towards him, and speaks to the men still holding Liam. “Hold him. I can’t have him stopping me.”

The men move towards him and Theo snaps into action. She slams one of their heads into the wall, instantly knocking him out, and then ducks down as the other swings at him. Once he’s down, he swipes his claws out, slashing the man's ankles. He collapses and Theo grabs his head, knocking it against the floor. He stands up, face shifted and blood dripping from his claws. 

Tara tuts, “Now that was rude. But no matter, they were worthless anyway.”

“Let him go,” Theo says, advancing towards her.

“Or what?” Tara asks. “You’ll kill me? Again? You can’t kill what’s already dead, Theo.”

“We’ll see about that,” Liam mutters. He slams an elbow back into Tara’s stomach, surprising her. He runs towards Theo and instantly, reaches for him. He grabs him by the arms and looks him over. “Are you okay?”

“I’ll be better once we’re out of here,” Liam says. 

“Let’s go,” Theo says. “We’ll regroup with the others and…”

The door slams shut suddenly, leaving them in darkness. Theo and Liam’s eyes flash as they look around.

“Did you really think I’d let you go that easily?” Tara asks from the darkness. “We’re not done here, Theo.”

“I say we are,” Theo mutters. “You’re not getting to him.”

Tara laughs, the sound filling the room and sending a chill through him. He can hear the blade dragging across the floor and then the wall, but he can’t place where. 

“You called for backup, right?” Liam whispers.

“Yeah,” Theo says quietly. “I told Scott. They should be here soon.”

“Oh I wouldn’t count on your friends to help you,” Tara says. 

Lightning flashes outside, lighting up the room. Theo sees Tara’s face flash before him, and a moment later, Liam cries out. The scent of blood reaches his nose.

“Liam?”

“Theo,” he whispers. “I’m sorry.”

“What?” Theo asks. “What are you sorry for?” Liam slumps against him and Theo panics. “Liam?”

He moves his hands across Liam, trying to find where he’s hurt. They move across his chest, and Theo’s heart drops when he feels something wet and sticky. “Liam?”

Tara laughs, “How tragic it must be to lose the one you love?”

He’s not dead. Theo knows that. He can still hear his heart beating. There’s still time. He just has to get him help. 

“Let us go,” Theo says.

“Why should I when I’m so close to getting what I want,” she says.

More lightning flashes and Theo sees her standing in the middle of the living room. He moves Liam, until he’s leaning back against the wall. And then he acts. He charges towards her, missing her the first time, and then the second. On the third, he finds her and tackles her to the ground. The storm outside is providing a haunting light, illuminating her pale skin. 

“What are you going to do, Theo?” she teases. “You can’t hurt me.”

“I can,” Theo says. “I’m the only one that can. I’m sorry for what I did to you. You didn’t deserve to die like that. I was a kid, and I was manipulated. I have had to live with those decisions and what I’ve done for years. All that guilt and pain, and thinking I don’t deserve what I have. But I _do_. Because I fought hard for it. I am not the person I was when I did those things. I know you’ll never forgive me for that. I don’t expect you to. But Liam, he doesn’t deserve to die for what I did. If you let him, then you’re a monster just like me.”

Tara watches him for a moment, and there’s no warmth there. Not like he used to see. Just anger and hatred. She smiles cruelly and leans in close, the smell of her rotting breath making him want to gag. “Then I guess I’m a monster.”

She shoves him off and runs towards where Liam is laying on the floor. Theo doesn’t think. He grabs her discarded sword and he runs after her. As she kneels in front of Liam, her hand reaching out towards his chest, Theo raises the sword and drives it down. 

She wails and turns her head towards him, “Theo. Please.”

“I’m sorry,” Theo says. “But I won’t let you take him.”

He twists the sword harder into her empty chest. She stands and stumbles towards him, but barely makes it a few steps before her body starts crumbling, turning to dust. He drops the sword and kneels down next to Liam, taking his face in his hands. His heart is still beating, but it’s slower. 

“Liam,” Theo says. “Liam!” 

Liam groans and his eyes blink open, “Theo?”

“Yeah it’s me.”

Liam’s eyes widen and he tries to sit up as he looks frantically around the room, “Where is she?”

“Gone,” Theo says quietly. 

Liam looks at him, his expression softening into something sad and understanding. “I’m sorry.”

“That wasn’t my sister,” Theo says. “Not really. It was some twisted version of her they brought back to hurt me. But it wasn’t her. And even if it was, I couldn’t let her hurt you.”

Liam winces as he sits up straighter and leans into Theo, “I love you, you know that?”

Theo smiles, “I love you too.” He kisses Liam, pouring all the relief and love he’s feeling into the kiss. Liam’s heart is beating a little steadier and he sighs. “How are you feeling? Are you healing?”

“I think so,” Liam says.

“You should probably still be checked out,” Theo says.

“You’re not going to let it go until I agree to go are you?”

“Nope.”

“I didn’t think so,” Liam sighs, and let’s Theo help him to his feet. He turns on a light on the way to the door, and frowns down at the floor. “What about them?”

Ah. Right. The men that were with Tara. “I don’t know.”

“Well we can’t just leave them here,” Liam says.

A knock sounds at the door, and Theo is immediately on the alert again, until he recognizes Scott’s heartbeat. “Come in.”

The door opens and Scott walks in, with Malia, Mason, and Corey behind him. He tilts his head as he looks down at the men on the floor. “Who are they?”

“Pretty sure they work with Monroe,” Theo says.

“Monroe?” Mason asks. 

“Yeah, she sent them after me with Tara.” At the other's confusion, he sighs. “Yeah that’s a long story. But she basically came after me determined to make me suffer by killing Liam.”

“Where is she?” Malia asks. “And why is there dust all over your floor?”

“That’s Tara,” Theo says.

Malia sniffs the air and wrinkles her nose, “It does smell… dead.”

“How did Monroe get Tara back?” Corey asks. “Is she working with witches now?”

“Must be,” Liam says.

“Her hypocrisy knows no bounds,” Mason mutters.

Scott puts a hand on his arm and ducks his head to meet his eyes, “Are you okay?”

“What? Yeah. I’m not the one that was hurt. Liam is.”

“I’m fine,” Liam says. “I’m healing.”

Scott nods, “Good. But that’s not what I meant. I mean, your sister came back and tried to kill you and your boyfriend. That can’t be easy.”

“It wasn’t,” Theo says. “But in a way, it kind of gave me closure. I got to say all the things I never got to. I just wish it had been different.”

“I know,” Scott says. “And I’m here if you need to talk.”

“Thanks man.”

“What’s this?” Theo turns to see Liam holding something. Something black and small… and oh god.

“Umm that’s….” he swallows. Suddenly nervous. He’d forgotten all about his plan. Too worried about Liam to think of anything else.

“I think we’ll just be going,” Mason grabs Corey by the arm and pulls him towards the door. He winks before he slips outside. 

Scott follows after them, shooting him a very non-discrete thumbs up. 

Theo turns back to Liam, to see him looking down at the box in his hands. He hesitantly steps closer. “Liam?”

“Is this what I think it is?” Liam asks. He looks up at him, his face unreadable.

Theo rocks back on his heels, “Depends. If you think it’s an engagement ring, then yes it is.”

“Why is there an engagement ring just sitting on our floor?” Liam questions, stepping closer.

“Because it had been in my pocket,” Theo says. He takes the box from Liam and fiddles with it, laughing to himself. “I had a plan when I came home, and it sort of went to hell.”

“Hmm and what were you planning to do with an engagement ring, Theo?” Liam teases.

Good. He’s teasing him. Which means he’s not uncomfortable with the idea. “Oh I don’t know. I thought it might be nice to look at.”

Liam raises an eyebrow, “Anyplace in particular you’d like to see it?”

“Is this really how to want to do this?” Theo laughs. “It feels a little informal.”

“I just almost died,” Liam says. “And besides, since when have we ever done anything the way you’re supposed to?”

He has a point there. Theo takes a step forward and pops the box open, taking the ring out. He throws the box aside and looks down at Liam. “In that case, it’d make me really happy to see this ring on your finger, and the way things are going, I might actually cry if you say you’ll marry me.”

Liam leans in and brushes his lips lightly against Theo’s, “I’d love nothing more than to wear that ring and marry the shit out of you.”

He holds his hand out and Theo slides it on his finger. He pulls Liam in and kisses him until they’re both breathless. Sure, this isn't exactly how he planned to propose to Liam. But it’s perfect. It’s them. It doesn’t matter how it happened, after all. He’s happy knowing that Liam is alive and happy and safe in his arms, and that one day soon he’s going to get to marry him. 

He starts to back Liam towards the stairs, determined to spend the rest of the night showing Liam just how much he loves him. But then Liam stops, placing his hands on his chest. “Wait.”

“What is it?”

“We haven’t done anything about the hunters,” Liam reminds him.

Theo glances down at the two unconscious men on the floor and sighs, resting his head against Liam’s. “I don’t suppose we could tie them up and deal with them in the morning?”

Liam huffs out a laugh, “Probably not the best idea.”

“Lock them in the basement?”

“We don’t have a basement.”

“Shit.”

“We have to call Scott back over,” Liam says. He smirks and runs his hands down Theo’s chest. “And then we can celebrate.”

He pulls out his phone and calls Scott, not looking away from Liam. “I need you to send someone to handle the hunters on our floor. And quick. We have an engagement to celebrate.”

“Oh you want to have a party?” Scott asks.

Liam snorts and grabs the phone, “Later. Tonight’s party is only for two.”

Theo hears Scott’s quiet “oh” before he clears his throat. “Right. I’ll be right over with Chris.”

It’s only a few minutes later that Scott is knocking on their door, Chris in tow. Chris doesn’t say anything about the hunters, just has them all help him get them to his SUV. He grunts out a “congratulations” before getting into the front seat and driving away.

Scott’s a little more enthusiastic. He pulls them both in for a hug and kisses the sides of their faces. “I’m so happy for you both.”

“Thanks Scott,” Liam says.

“You really do want me to leave, don’t you?”

“Yeah no offense,” Liam says. “But I kind of want some time alone with my fiancé.”

Scott laughs, “Understandable. I’ll see you both later. Congrats!”

He’s barely gotten onto his bike before Liam is dragging Theo back into the house and upstairs to their room. He pushes Theo back onto the bed and straddles him before kissing him heatedly. A kiss Theo returns all too happily. 

“I just want to focus on the happy tonight,” Liam tells him. He kisses his way down Theo’s neck, stopping to suck on the sensitive spot above his collarbone. 

Theo gasps and throws his head back. He cards a hand through Liam’s hair, raking his nails across his scalp in a way he knows drives Liam crazy. He’s fine with focusing on the happy tonight. It’s what they both deserve. No doubt they’ll have to face what happened. Theo knows it’s not something they’ll both easily forget, but they can try. They can chase those memories away, focusing on the good, for as long as they can. And eventually, when they do have to face what happened, they won’t be alone. They’ll be there, ready to help each other through it.

**Author's Note:**

> The amount of times I battled with my mind over just killing someone here was a lot, but I managed it 😆. Thanks for reading! Kudos/comments make my day 💜  
> You can find me [here on tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


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